RIMINI (ITALPRESS) – “This Meeting wants to bear witness, in the face of so much defeatism, that it is possible to bring life to the desert of indifference, shelter to the deserts of abandonment, friendship to the deserts of existential loneliness, and above all reconciliation to the deserts of war.” With these words, Bernhard Scholz, president of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples Foundation, opened the 46th edition of the Rimini Meeting.
“We want to show that, despite widespread skepticism, it is possible to be present in our families, schools, workplaces, and throughout society — with a passion for the destiny of every person, with genuine educational commitment, with work aimed at the common good, and with a farsighted and competent political engagement,” Scholz continued. He also expressed strong support for the appeals made by Pope Leo XIV to both the Israeli government and Hamas. “We fully share the Pope’s call for Israel to allow unrestricted humanitarian aid to the exhausted civilian population in Gaza, and for Hamas to release all hostages as soon as possible,” Scholz said.
Addressing the broader issue of global conflicts, he emphasized the Meeting’s long-standing stance: “In the face of the many wars unfortunately breaking out around the world, the Meeting has always refused to identify a nation with the decisions of its government, especially when those decisions degenerate into attacks on civilians.” Looking ahead, Scholz voiced hope that Rimini can once again serve as a space for dialogue: “We hope this Meeting can highlight that peace can be reborn from the people themselves, when places of reconciliation and mutual hospitality are created,” he concluded.
– Photo: Meeting Rimini 2025 –
(ITALPRESS).
